Weigela plant named ‘TVP1’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Weigela florida  plant named, ‘TVP1’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit, its young foliage that is dark brown in color and mature foliage that is dark green in color, its glossy foliage, its leaves that are convex in aspect, its twigs and leaves with a pubescent surface, and its flower petals with outer surfaces light purple-pink in color and inner surfaces white in color with a yellow spot.

Botanical classification: Weigela florida.

Variety denomination: ‘TVP1’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to a European plant breeders' rightsapplication filed on Mar. 24, 2020, application No. 2020/0838. Therehave been no offers for sale anywhere in the world prior to theeffective filing date of this Application and no accessibility to one ofordinary skill in the art could have been derived from the printed plantbreeder's rights documents.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Weigelaand will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘TVP1’. ‘TVP1’represents a new cultivar of Weigela, a deciduous shrub grown forlandscape use.

The new cultivar is the result of a controlled breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Hazerswoude-Dorp, The Netherlands. Theobjective of the breeder program is to develop new cultivars of Weigelathat are rich flowering with multi-colored flowers and compact and lowgrowing plant habits. The Inventor made a cross in spring of 2015between an unnamed proprietary plant in the Inventor's breeding program,reference no. BV010, as the female parent and Weigela ‘Kolmagira’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 20,384) as the male parent. ‘TVP1’ was selected as asingle unique plant from the resulting seedlings of the cross in springof 2017.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished bysoftwood stem cuttings by the Inventor in June of 2018 inHazerswoude-Dorp, The Netherlands. Asexual propagation by softwood stemcuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar arestable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes incombination distinguish ‘TVP1’ as a unique cultivar of Weigela.

-   -   1. ‘TVP1’ exhibits a compact and upright plant habit.    -   2. ‘TVP1’ exhibits young foliage that is dark brown in color and        mature foliage that is dark green in color.    -   3. ‘TVP1’ exhibits glossy foliage.    -   4. ‘TVP1’ exhibits leaves that are convex in aspect.    -   5. ‘TVP1’ exhibits twigs and leaves with a pubescent surface.    -   6. ‘TVP1’ exhibits flower petals with outer surfaces light        purple-pink in color and inner surfaces white in color with a        yellow spot.

The female parent plant differs from ‘TVP1’ in having a broadlyspreading plant habit and flower petals with a single color. The maleparent plant differs from ‘TVP1’ in having variegated foliage and flowerpetals with a single color. ‘TVP1’ can be compared to the Weigelaflorida varieties ‘Victoria’ (not patented) and ‘Samba’ (not patented).‘Victoria’ is similar to ‘TVP1’ in having dark colored foliage.‘Victoria’ differs from ‘TVP1’ in having a less compact plant habit,less pubescence on the twigs and foliage, foliage that is darker incolor, and flower petals that are red-purple in color on both surfaces.‘Samba’ is similar to ‘TVP1’ in having dark foliage and a compact planthabit. ‘Samba’ differs from ‘TVP1’ in having a more compact plant habit,foliage that is darker in color, and flower petals that are red-purplein color on both surfaces.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR

The Applicant asserts that no publications or advertisements relating tosales, offers for sale, or public distribution occurred more than oneyear prior to the effective filing date of this application. Anyinformation about the claimed plant would have been obtained from adirect or indirect disclosure from the Inventor. The Applicant claims aprior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/orsales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to theeffective filing date. Disclosures include but may not be limited towebsite listings by van Vliet New plants, Landshaft, dreamstime, andbestplant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs were taken in August and illustratesthe overall appearance and distinct characteristics of 24-month-oldplants the new Weigela as field in Hazerswoude-Dorp, The Netherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides an overall view of the growth habit of‘TVP1’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the flowers of‘TVP1’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the foliage of‘TVP1’.

The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Weigela.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as observedon 24-month-old plants of Weigela ‘TVP1’ as field grown inHazerswoude-Dorp, The Netherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar mayvary with variations in environmental, climatic, and culturalconditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmentalconditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2015Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, exceptwhere general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Remontant; blooms from late spring (May)            and fall (September into October) in The Netherlands.        -   Plant type.—Deciduous flowering shrub.        -   Plant habit.—Compact, upright and slightly spreading, freely            branched.        -   Plant size.—Reaches about 74.3 cm in height and 82 cm in            width as a 24-month-old plant and 100 cm in height and 125            cm in width as a mature plant in the landscape.        -   Cold hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zone 5.        -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility to resistance to            diseases or pests has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, moderately dense.        -   Propagation.—Softwood stem cuttings.        -   Root development.—An average of 6 weeks for root initiation            and an average of 3 months to produce a young rooted plant.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate to high.-   Branch description:    -   -   Branch shape.—Slightly quadrangular.        -   Branch color.—New and mature; N186C, bark; N186C, axially            striped 197C.        -   Branch size.—An average of 49 cm in length and 5 mm in            diameter.        -   Branch surface.—New growth (twigs); slightly glossy,            moderately to densely covered with short hairs an average of            1 mm in length and 156A in color.        -   Branch aspect.—Upright to outward at an average angle of            35°.        -   Branch strength.—Moderately strong.        -   Branching.—An average of 40 main basal branches and 4            lateral branches per main branch.        -   Internode length.—Average of 3.6 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Obovate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Attenuate.        -   Leaf apex.—Apiculate.        -   Leaf fragrance.—None.        -   Leaf aspect.—Slightly carinate, convex.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, color upper surface 177B, color            lower surface 195A, changing to 177B.        -   Leaf margins.—Serrate, moderately rev olute.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite or in whorls of three.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf surface.—Both surfaces glossy and slightly rugose,            upper surface sparsely pubescent with very short hairs,            average of 0.3 mm in length, 156A in color, lower surface            densely pubescent with short hairs; an average of 0.75 mm in            length, 156A in color.        -   Leaf size.—An average of 6.7 cm in length and 3.8 cm in            width.        -   Leaf quantity.—An average of 10 per lateral branch.        -   Leaf color.—Young upper surface 200B, young lower surface            200C, mature upper surface 147A, tinged 200B, mature lower            surface 147A, margins tinged 200B.        -   Petioles.—Average of 3 mm in length, 2 mm in width, upper            surface color 177A lower surface color 177B, both surfaces            are matte and densely covered with soft pubescence 0.5 mm in            length and 156A in color.        -   Stipules.—None.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Solitary, in pairs, or in small clusters            at terminus and leaf axils.        -   Inflorescence size.—Average of 4.4 cm in height and 6.8 cm            in diameter.        -   Flower buds.—Oblanceolate in shape, an average of 1.8 cm in            length and 5 mm in diameter, color; 184B, lower part of bud            145B, matte surface.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Lastingness of flowers.—About 12 days, self-cleaning.        -   Flower aspect.—Outward to slightly upright.        -   Flower quantity.—An average of 7 per inflorescence, 600 buds            and flowers per plant.        -   Flower type.—Tubular.        -   Flower size.—Average of 2 cm in height and diameter, 3.3 cm            in depth, throat; 1 cm in diameter, tube; 2.4 cm in length,            9 mm in diameter.        -   Peduncles.—Average of 2 cm in length, 1.25 mm in diameter,            held in a 20° angle to lateral branch axis, strong, densely            covered with soft pubescent hairs, an average of 0.5 mm in            length, 156A in color, matte surface, ranging between N186C            and 200A in color.        -   Calyx.—Rotate in shape, an average of 8 mm in depth and 4 mm            in width.        -   Sepals.—5, rotate, linear in shape, acute apex, cuneate            base, entire margin, an average of 8 mm in length and 1 mm            in width, lower 30% fused, color; when opening and fully            open upper and lower surface 177A, upper surface smooth and            glabrous, lower surface smooth, very sparsely covered with            short hairs an average of 0.2 mm in length and too small to            measure color, both surfaces slightly glossy.        -   Petals.—5, lower 75% fused into tube, spathulate in shape,            margin entire on free portion, apex obtuse, an average of            3.2 cm in length, 9 mm in width, both surfaces non-rugose,            inner surface matte, glabrous, slightly velvety, outer            surface matte, glabrous, non-velvety, color; when opening            and fully open inner surface 155D with spot of one petal            13B, when opening and fully open outer surface 185D with            margins NN155A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—Pistil; 1, average of 2.9 cm in length, style;            average of 2.7 cm in length, and 182C in color, stigma;            club-shaped, 1.5 mm in length and 2 mm in diameter, 156D in            color, ovary; 200B in color.        -   Androecium.—Stamens; 5, filaments; N155A, fading towards the            base to 186D in color and an average of 7 mm in length,            anthers; 159A in color, an average of 3 mm in length, 0.5 mm            in width, narrowly oblong in shape, pollen; moderate in            quantity and 158D in color.        -   Fruit and seed.—No fruit or seed production has been            observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Weigela plant named‘TVP1’ as herein illustrated and described.